Electrically-operated apparatus.



PATENTED AUG. 16, 1904. G. E BEDGWIUK E ILABBOTTL ELEGTBICALLY OPERATED APPARATUS.

LIPLIOATIOI FILED SEPT-17, 1803..

lb IODEL nll - Ami;

no 'zezsse.

ELECTBlCALLY-OPERATED' PA-RATU Patented August 16, 1904.

. fafen BLEs E; SEDGWlQCK'AND WALTER n. ABBmm foF-cLEvnlI Anflomo SPECIFIGdTiION formi g part of Letters Petent NL76'75599, tt mgjiig. 1954."

Appliqatiqn mmse amim 17, 1903. 55ml No.'17 3,551.;(No mutt), a

1'0 alf-ivhom, it away concern.-

Be itlmoivn that \ve, 'GHARLEsEL SEDG K and \YALTE H. ABBOTT, citizens of the United States, residing' at-Glei'eland, in the countyof Unyahoga and State-of Ohio; have invented new and useful Improvements in- Electricallk-Operated Apparatus; and we do deelare that the following is a" full, clear, and

. exact-description of 'theinvention, which will- :0 enable others skilled in thegart to whichjit a1) pertains to make and use the sai'ne. i Our invention relates toelectrieally-oper nted ap'pa'ratiis; the same adapted to be used in current-switching and other devicesf jin which a part is moved from one position to r 11iot l1ei l i the power of the Current; and the 1 jhsghftidhtonsisk in a device constrneted and operating substantially as shown and deii i'heil; and iparticularlypointed out in the 2o c la m's. j

" 'Iii theaccompanyin .drawmgs the inven- .F'igin-e l is a longitudinal sectional elei'ation 5'01 theim ention in one of its Lsjmplest forms,

showing a reversely nchned tube wound with :Lsnitiihle coil and having 'plugsin-its ends v'il'fh electrical contacts and-imiron or steel 'i I'm: sphere therein adapted to. bolelectrica gjishiftrfl from one incline or side of said t nhe to the other, as hereinafterfullylde- ,H sqrj lieil. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional.

. i \"i e,\ corresponding substantially to Fig. 1 in so,.fiaj1 as the tube andhall ore conc'emed; but -5.-h.- \g ingonly mechanical contactsm. thetube other to make onuhreul; :i qii cnit, orhoth sucmaven. 2lllll lo operate ;:'i--ineehan1sin with \Yllllll the lmll is adapted tocontactmomenta; ril n1 for ii longer period.- as may he desired in any given insenml according to the work 5 l. til-whine. -'l'rrlh i e ends \ve-i'n-ovide adetion "isilisclosedin -t n'ee'sev'eral"difierentu'rgthe ball and the tube being inclosed by a.-

' and the said tube or pipe-maybe'eonstructed in a single, piece bent at' its-.cententQ-the in-- clination substantial,lyl.='asfshown: or-tof ,two straightpiecesof tubing'k'solderedor'*brazed together and made one. thisEWaEy: 13A suitable insuletionf ais placed iibout the said tube, and ilpon or. aroiind-thislweiwindthe eoil O; The character of this wixidiiibnooil-willde- .I nd' -muchupon 151181150 foi'whiolttl'1edevice is tobe' employedflind-the eoilbe heavier orlighter,'as aparticiilafserfiee mayd mand.

In operation when'aieurrentiiszsentg rough 5 "said coil the positiofi-of .-the ballinthfi jtubeis changed; as hereinafter =fulljie2tplnided and in any eveiittliesajdfgloallfi:iimvlziolly.underv the 'controloi the ciirrentpassiilgthroughthefl coiI Cwhatei'er'shifleofrgositfonitinaymake 7 A and'whether itsiirork iv heng sljj ftedzprmz route 1 be e] or kvhgtheitthe said 'ball'ftravelsjfromi oiiefito hetoth position in tnhe'A' ond'oes; its J side'thereofalonel lfls q iwflzittei"operation war in oneranclihetion 'or see further descriptioliherem.

mmg egh endsaer tbensgrl-ibse 'b means of plngs'o'r blefel is" D'oifiwo'od. .or other suitablemoxr eondnetiiig rinaterialgiandi said plugs are horedifto ente'i'zthe' eleetrical-com' doctors E into engagement with contact-plates- In Fig 2 the' plngs 1)-antljeontaet plates 2 are omitted,-and instead th'ereofi-we show a. .s\vitcl1-plate-F-, piYotefd 'ih or 'at'. one end of 5 tubeA and extending '.-i'n'to' the said tubein'. position tobe engaged by'hall-B; while semaphore orsign G is-Phdted-innonupon the other end of the sqid tnbeixi' position to. be

mechanically engaged hy tli'ei-baill and raised 9 thereby through 'grev'ity.-*=;1'ri Both ends the ball performs a; strietly in'echiinical funct-ion, ivhereas in Figs-1 theifiinction is-ivhollyelee trical. The ball miglit be used ito perforn aneehanical funct'ioiiiind also se r\ 'e--f0r electric'al purposes in "addition. l'n -that event the members Fahd Gfshould be-insuluted.

Now, referringto-theoperati.on-of theapparatus, when a current is seiitthfiongh the coil of wire 0 it lias 'tlie efi'ectjoffpulling or rolling the ball up toward the center of the oil wi h s ch an impetus thatit is carried past the center to the other s ide-or incline,

where it remain's say as in dotted -lines-, Fig.-

'1'even though the current isstill passing through'the coil. Upon interrupting the curi' nt the hall rolls down. tothe stopon that side and against plate 2, when it is in the op'-. posite position from which it started. Upon applying current again through-coil C the ball is drawn over the center as before, but from the opposite side, and when current is again interrupted tionffrom which it originally started. It is thus seen that with one impulse given to the ball by current applied to coil Q and then -in terrnpted, even though the current be on for a long time, the ball is transferred from one end orincline of the tube to the'other, and upon repeating the operation the ball is transferred backagain', and so on as often as may be desired. In other words, the same operation of the current repeated moves the ball alternately from one side to the other in the tube, and this'without any auxiliary or other reversing device or medium but the current itself. A narrow iron ribbon orband 12 bei ing wrapped around the center ormiddle and highest point of the tube increases very largely the limits of current between which the ball will actw .Without it the-range is from-minimum to about double-minimum current. Higher currents pull the ball over the center twice-that is, the ball crosses the apex to the other side and is then drawn back again to the side it started on-'so that when.

the current is interrupted the ball rolls down to the side from' which it started. The introduction of the iron ribbon 12, as. shown, increases the maximum current to at least six times the minimum current, and, indeed, it may. considerably exceed this increase.

This device can be used wherever it is de sired to do alternately first one thing and then another by means of an electric current, and

the effect may be worked out electrically or mechanically, as a'given case may require.

' InFig. 3 we show an electrical block-signaling system in diagram in which two or a pair of tubes A andballs B are used. These arearranged in sets, which may be a considerable distance apart-say a mile or-more, ac-

it rolls down to the posi-- the circuit through said lamps by means of the car itself as it proceeds along the main line and after leaving the switches.- Thus in Fig. 3 a practical use -of. the invention is shown. The plan hereis to connect a numberof lamps H in series by a wire 8, which is strung parallel with the tracks between the switches S, andthe terminals of wire 8-are connected withhubetAx 'A- third rail G is shown, which presumably carries the current for the road and-is the equivalent of the usual overhead or trolley wire. One contact, 5, in each tube A is connected by-wire 3with said third rail or its equivalent and the other contact, 7, is connected by wire 9 with rail 10 of the car-track or with the ground. The motor or car is indicated by 14 and presumably is approachin g the block. This being the case, the

moment it comes within the block after passing the car-switchthetrolley wheel of the car rides over .a section 11 of the trolley or-third rail 6, which section is separated from the...

main' trolley by suitablebreaks or insulated connections and whereby no current fronrtlie main supplyis obtainable unless otherwise provided for; but provision is made by a'connecting-wire 12, which taps the supply-wire. andsection 11 and in. which coil C'is connected in circuit, I tion 11 current is still obtainable, but the Thus whenthe car is opposite sccpower derived to drive the car is taken over a circuit-in which coil C is apart, and thus must perforce energize the coil and throw the ball v to one side or the other within tube A; When balls Bin both tubes are in contact with both plates 5 or with both bolts 7, lamps 4; are cut off from all current; but when coil C is-energizedby the passing of a car over a section 11 and a ball is shifted from one end of the tube A to the other a working circuit is established over wires 9, 8, and .3 and lamps H glow and give warning of the presence of acar on the main track between switches S. Then as said car reaches the switch ahead and section 11 at that point' the coil-.C in the circuit of that section is energized and its ball B shifted. whereby the current over wire 8 is cut. oil to darken lamps H, and thereby indicate that the main track is again open. If desired. a reverse arrangement of the plan for signaling can be used-that is, thc-lanipsnmy be darkened u hen a car is on the main track and aglow when open.

Various means may be utilized to provide current for coil C; but the incansshown is preferred, because the current which drives the cal-.inust'pass through the coil as the cur travels over the main tracn opposite sl'clloll 11, and thereby always acts to shift hall l5 each time a car passes this point.

Itwill be seen that the coil is um'rgizml by the current which drives the car, and if for any reason the lnotornmn desires to provent the energizing of .the coil he can throw fit is preferably; but any equivalent form of said part which will serve the same purpose is within the scope of the invention whether it be a shell of cast metal or other form not having the exact characteristic of a tube, but serving the same purpose. So, also, may the ball be substituted by any rotatable member which will run from one position to another under 7 the influence of" the current and by gravity continue its course in the direction of its initial movement, substantially as shown and described.

\Yhat we claim is- 1. An electrical device comprising a shell having a reversely-inclined bottom with its highest point at its center, an electrical winding about said shell extending across both sides of its center and a free rotatablemember in said shell adapted to be electrically drawn from one side of the shell to the otheracross its center, substantially as described.

2-. In an electrical apparatus,.a shell and an electrical winding about said shell, and an independent member in said shell adapted to be moved part way within said shell when the winding upon the tube is energized, and means to shift said member to the opposite end of .the tube from whence it started when the winding is deenergized, substantially as described.

3. An electrical appliance .consisting of a tube having reversely-lnclined portions, a

wire coil about said tube, and a ball-free to a run in the tube, substantially as described.

4; Adevice substantially as described com-- prising a hollow revcrsely-inc'lined member and an electrical coil about the same. acoutact-point in one end of said member and a ball therein adapted torun into and out of engagement with said contact-point, substantially as described.

5; In electrical devices, a tube having reversely-inclinedportions with the highest point at its center and having a contactrpoint in each inclined-portion,,-and a ball free to travel from one contact-point to the other, substantially as described.

6. In an electri all device, a tube having two oppositely-iuclined portions and a metallic band wrapped aboutsaid tube, an electrical wrapping about said tube and an independent rolling member within the tube adapted to be drawn across the center thereof from either side, substantially as described.

7. An electrical dcvlce comprlsing a hollow member with reversely-inclined end portions a having a winding of metallic ribbon at its center and a contact-poiut in its end and a rotatable part in said member adapted to be electrically drawn over the center thereof, substantially as described.

8. In an electrically-operated apparatus, an electrical coil and a hollow core therefor, a free member within said core adapted to move part way therein when the coil is energized, and means to compel said member to continue its travel in a given course after each interruption of the current flowing through the coil in combination with means for switching current through the coil, substantially as described.

9. An electrically-operated apparatus-comprising a, tube and electrical COll wound centrally thereon, a free member within said tube adapted to travel from end to end therein, and means .toalternately, shiftsaid member from opposite ends upon successive switching of current through said coil, substantially as described. v

10. In an automatic signaling system for electric railways, the power-supply line for the car hav-iug insulated sections at intervals provided with feed connecting-wires tapping the main supply-line, in combination with an electrical apparatus comprising a shell and a coil thereon connected in 'circuit with said feed-wire and whereby current is supplied to energize said coil whenever electrical current is supplied to the car as it passes said section,. a movable member within said shell adapted to shift alternately-to opposite ends therein as said coil is successively energized by the movement of the car from-section to section,

and'signaliugmeans controlled by said memher whereby the location of the car is deter mined, substantially as described.

11. 'In an electrical apparatus, a shell and a wire coil wound thereon, a metallic band about said shell centrally between the endsof. the

coil, and an independent member within said shell adapted to be moved therein when said coil is energized, substantially as described.

12. The tube and separate contacts therein, signaling means operatively. connected with each of said contacts, an mdependeut moval IlO member within said tube, and means to shift 

